


Wards

by DeepNerd



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Tokyo Mew Mew
Genre: Demons, Dragons, Gen, One Shot, Self-Indulgent, no ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26088838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepNerd/pseuds/DeepNerd
Summary: An unfamiliar scent plagued his nose and he goes to investigate. Rin says she made a new friend. Sesshomaru is less than pleased. (Minor blood warning)
Kudos: 4





	Wards

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I started this like last year and set it down for a little bit before writing up a quick ending. This is just a self-indulgent thing. I kinda started shipping Sesshomaru and Deep Blue as a joke because these are my two fave characters. Its no longer a joke. So enjoy!

Rin was prone to kindness and immediate trust. She was a child and she had not yet learned that naivety was something that got one killed. The demon knew that she was far too trusting. It was a weakness she would need to remove herself of. When Sesshomaru returned from wherever he ventured off too, he was greeted with an unknown scent that covered his young ward. He stepped into the clearing where he left his vassal and ward, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Sesshomaru glanced at Rin, who gave him a nervous smile. Then, he immediately kicked his vassal, Jaken, for letting Rin wander off and get covered in a fowl scent that was not his. Jaken squawked and began his long apologies and bowing. Sesshomaru ignored the imp and turned to Rin, who was picking flowers.

He wrinkled his nose, eyes narrowing as he inhaled. Being a dog demon, the lord of the west was protective of those he considered his. And Rin was _his._ Smelling something foreign on the girl was considered an insult. The scent itself did not reek of evil. It smelled powerful and ancient.

A youkai? No. He paused in front of the child and stared down at her. She stopped picking her flowers and looked right back up at the demon, her brown innocent eyes blinking in confusion. Sesshomaru sniffed again. The scent was more ancient than himself and the power that was laced in it… Was there another daiyoukai in the vicinity? Did they _dare_ lay claim to what was already his? Sesshomaru’s small pack was currently located in the west. His lands. An enemy. Were they a threat?

Were they trying to wage a war? He wound find out and put an end to the intruder.

It did not take much interrogation to get the information of Rin’s new ‘friend’ out of her. He asked. She answered. Rin was most loyal and honest. She did not hide secrets.

“Hn,” Sesshomaru hummed, slightly satisfied. While Sesshomaru was traveling, taking care of things, and doing as he pleased, Rin found an injured demon. At first, she was scared until his cold demeanor reminded the child of Sesshomaru. For the most part, he ignored Rin and let her dote on him. Sesshomaru frowned and made a noise in the back of his throat. It was too much like the time Rin found the dog demon himself. Injured and up against a tree, patiently dealing with Rin’s concern even though he assured her he was not needing of it.

He found himself insulted, jealous, and needing to reclaim what was his. Rin was his ward, his child, his daughter. This ‘friend’ needed to learn his place.

He closed his eyes and inhaled for the final time, preparing to track the fiend. He was not far, a few miles at best.

“Jaken,” Sesshomaru spoke without turning around to look at the green imp. “Look after Rin.” He did not wait until Jaken’s reply. Forming his cloud of youki, Sesshomaru took to the sky. The demon did not need to fly for long. He followed his nose to a patch of trees with a small lake in the center. Eyes narrowed as he spotted the fiend sitting comfortably next to the body of water.

Youki dispersed, Sesshomaru dropped, landing with elegance and grace behind the demon by the water. Golden eyes studied the demon with absurdly long ears and hair. While Sesshomaru’s was a pure silver, the unknown man’s was a very dark black and pooled around him like silk. This demon contrasted Sesshomaru with dark hair and clothing. Yet his skin was pale, nearing white.

And he stank of blood. Some his own and some a mix of human and demon alike. There was a dark stain on the right of his haori and a tear. Though the skin under the clothing looked unscarred and unblemished. So, he has already healed then. Good. Now he can leave.

Sesshomaru took one step forward and the man turned his head causing the dog demon to freeze. He _never_ froze. Yet when those pale blue eyes (like ice) landed on him, instincts flared. Sesshomaru was _not_ afraid. His nose twitched, and the man’s eyes blinked.

The two remained silent, only staring at each other. Sesshomaru placed his hand on Toukijin, the demon sword flaring and ready for a fight. The nameless man grunted, smirked, and stood silently (It seems Rin was correct in her assessment. The demon was very much like Sesshomaru). Now facing the inu-youkai, Sesshomaru squinted and studied. The man’s hair reached pasted his lower calves and barely graced the ground. There were no markings on his face. While Sesshomaru had several on his face, wrists, ankles, and other locations, the man was bare. Markings were a symbol of power. Unless his nose was wrong, and this man had no such ancient youki. Yet Inuyasaha was hanyou and bared no stripes. Sesshomaru must admit that his half-brother was strong. He sniffed. No. His nose was right. The man was, indeed, powerful.

The man’s haori was torn to his chest and stained in several places. His hakama did not remain unsullied, also stained with mud and dried blood. There was a single katana situated on his left hip. Sesshomaru was prepared if he decided to be a fool and use it.

The man raised a clawed hand and Sesshomaru’s grip on Toukijin tightened. He chuckled, his voice deep.

“You are,” the man started, the corners of his eyes moving upward as he smiled. “Sesshomaru- _sama_. Yes? The great inu-youkai of the west. Son of Inu-No-Taisho?” There was a hint of mocking in the demon’s tone that Sesshomaru did not care for. If this demon knew this much, why was he here in the west where Sesshomaru clearly claimed? Was he a fool or someone who believed to be greater than Sesshomaru? He glanced down at Sesshomaru’s grip on Toukijin, his smile widening. He takes amusement!? Well Sesshomaru takes offense. 

“This Sesshomaru requires you to leave,” Sesshomaru affirmed with a growl from the back of his throat. “You are in _my_ territory.”

The man (who remained unnamed. Not that Sesshomaru cares for his name) continued to smile, flashing white and pointed canines. His eyes flashed with that same mocking he showed earlier in his tone. His hand reached up to brush something off his haori. He frowned.

“Ah. A shame. I rather liked this color,” the man sighed as he ignored Sesshomaru’s demand. “It is such a nice blue. Do you agree Sesshomaru- _sama?_ ”

The man as toying with the dog demon. Sesshomaru refused to fall into his hands. He learned once from Naraku and never again would he be made a fool. Perhaps he will corporate if Sesshomaru proves his power and how lesser the other demon was. He released some of his youki, surrounding the other demon. Pale blue eyes widened slightly, and his smile fell.

Then he laughed. The smirk that grazed his face as he matched Sesshomaru’s youki with his own was menacing. The man was more than just a youthful face. Sesshomaru remained stone face, expecting a retaliation from the intruder. Toukijin begged for battle. Sesshomaru silenced the sword with a wave of youki.

“Rin was right,” the man’s smirk turned into a blank look. Sesshomaru forced himself to be calm. “Sesshomaru- _sama_ is very strong.”

“Your _stench_ was on my ward,” Sesshomaru snarled. “You will explain.”

The man’s mouth thinned. Finally, a reaction other than arrogancy and a sense of superiority. His hands balled into fists at his sides and it looked he was trying to contain himself.

“The child,” he said, his face cold and glaring. “Is yours?”

“Hn,” Sesshomaru hummed in reply. The man confirmed it. He did place his hands on Rin and he will pay dearly. No one touched what was his.

The man remained cold. Everything about him changed. And Sesshomaru kept Toukijin at the ready. He may only have one arm, yet he can still fight. And win. The other demon seems distracted now that Rin was mentioned. Was he upset that she was already claimed?

“Rin is human,” he said. “And she is yours. Why?”

Sesshomaru felt no need to answer for his reasons were his own. He did not need to explain himself to a stranger who overstayed his welcome in Sesshomaru’s territory. This demon was cocky and insulting. He tilted his head, still waiting an answer. Yet he got none. He sighed.

“A human child as a ward… Well since she is yours, I shall vent about her attitude,” he said suddenly, and he stood straighter. “Control that child. She insulted me.”

Now it was Sesshomaru’s turn to smirk. It seems Rin’s friend did not consider her as such. Yet he tolerated her presence. How kind of this demon to not kill her. The man began to pace, his hair trailing behind him.

“I knew that she belonged to a demon. I felt youki on her. Which explained as to why she did not fear me,” eyes slid over in Sesshomaru’s direction and he stopped pacing. “And why she tried to befriend me. If I was not injured at the time…” His eyes flickered red. “I would have slaughtered her for the insult.”

Sesshomaru saw red and Toukijin rejoiced as he was finally being put to use. The sword was drawn and met with the unnamed man’s own katana. Sesshomaru snarled and pushed. The man let out a grunt and slid his blade from Toukijin and tried to land a strike on Sesshomaru’s left side.

The dog demon countered by maneuvering his body around the strike. Claws glowed green as his poison built up. Sesshomaru spun as he released his poison whip. The man jumped back, dodging the strikes. With inhuman speed, he raced up to Sesshomaru, raising his sword in preparation for an attack. Slash after slash, the dog demon dodged with the occasional counter with Toukijin. He found himself stepping backwards for the other demon was pushing at him.

Was there an intent to kill or was this a test? Sesshomaru growled as he thought while using his moko moko to wrap around the other demon’s ankle and throw him into the lake. The unnamed man was surprised and failed to catch himself as he landed in the center of the lake with a loud splash. Daiyoukai or nor, the man was a fool for insulting Sesshomaru and, especially, Rin.

Sesshomaru kept Toukijin ready as the surface of the water broke. The man was airborne and had his sword over his head. When he swung down, he released his own youki into a controlled blast, sending a wave at Sesshomaru. The attack was large, and instincts screamed at him to flee. Yet he raised Toukijin. When the blast neared, he swung his own blade down, slicing the attack down the middle. While he was focused on that, he failed to notice the air shifting behind him. Sesshomaru growled as he felt a something pierce his shoulder. He felt breath tickle his ear.

“Slow,” the man purred as he pushed the blade further. Sesshomaru dropped Toukijin and grabbed the blade, ignoring the slices being made into his hand. The demon frowned as he tried to remove his sword. Sesshomaru wrapped a booted foot around the man’s ankle and pushed him back, forcing the man to fall.

The man did fall, yet this time he caught himself. He pushed himself up and back, away from the dog demon. The unnamed demon was now weaponless, Sesshomaru deemed himself to be at an advantage. While the demon was skilled, his arrogance clouded his assessment on others. Sesshomaru knew of his power and abilities. He knew what the other man was capable of. He could smell it. Pulling the sword from his shoulder, Sesshomaru willed the cut on his hand to heal as he picked up Toukijin, and pointed it at the unnamed demon.

“Accept defeat and I _might_ spare you,” Sesshomaru commanded. “You are outmatched.”

The demon smirked. It seems he was a fool and refused to accept that he had no sword and how the match stood in Sesshomaru’s favor. He lunged and Sesshomaru readied himself.

\---

“You will _explain_ ,” Sesshomaru said through clenched teeth. He currently had the demon pinned to a tree, hand at his throat, claws at the ready. Both demons were entirely disheveled and covered in each others blood. The unnamed demon’s blue haori and hakama was stained redder and more cut, white skin covered in angry red scratches and scrapes. His face had a cut across his cheek which was bleeding heavily. One of his arms hung limply and bruised around his shoulder. Sesshomaru dislocated it in the fight. Sesshomaru’s white clothing was stained with red. His sleeve was shredded and armor in pieces. Toukijin lain forgotten a few yards away. His wrist was scrapped due to the demon clawing at it while trying to escape Sesshomaru’s hold.

What turned the battle was that Sesshomaru smelled that the other man was still healing, and he aimed for the shoulder where the haori was torn causing the unnamed demon to howl in agony as his wound reopened and arm dislocated.

The man panted and swallowed. There was no longer any form of coy coming from him as he lay in Sesshomaru’s mercy. Which grows thin the more the demon remained silent and stubborn. Fingers tightened around the man’s throat and his breath hitched as he struggled.

“Fine!” he coughed. “Fine…”

Sesshomaru’s hold loosened yet kept the man pinned. Gold eyes glared at him.

“I hail from the North. I was a lord... like you, Sesshomaru-sama. I had followers. I had a mountain. I was unrivaled,” the man recounted, sucking in a pained breath. “I am known as Deep Blue. And my name struck fear into human and youkai alike.”

Sesshomaru hummed in recognition. He knew of this youkai from the North but he has never crossed his path (until now). His power rivaled Inu-No-Taisho. Yet he was defeated by Sesshomaru…due an injury. If Deep Blue was not injured…

Sesshomaru refused to think of such absurdity.

“Five,” Deep Blue continued. Five what? “Five priestesses. Pink, blue, green, yellow, purple. The clothing they wore bore those colors. Their names I cannot care to remember. That is what it took to injure me. I thought I could handle those children. Yet my underestimation was my downfall. In the attempt to seal my power away, I was injured gravely.”

“So, you fled,” Sesshomaru finished. “Into my lands. Why west. Why come here to insult me.”

Deep Blue forced a smile and a laugh. “I mean you no insult… The spar we had was fun and I was frustrated. I needed something to take it out on. You were a perfect opponent.”

“You insulted my ward… insisting you would kill her,” Sesshomaru’s grip tightened and the demon against the tree hissed. “Why should I leave you alive?”

“If you injure me further, you wage war. Your strike will not be enough to kill me, Sesshomaru-sama.”

“Yet those human mikos were enough.”

Deep Blue’s eyes glowed red as he hissed. The inu-youkai seemed to strike a nerve for the other hissed and smoke emitted from his mouth.

Sesshomaru had yet to figure out the other demon’s species but going by how he spoke, serpent seemed most likely, and he was cold to the touch. Yet it was confusing since he lived up North in the cold. However, the mountains were where dragons occupied.

“You are dragon?” He asked but sounded more as an accusation.

Deep Blue stuck his tongue out, forked. Like a snake. It quickly slid back into his mouth. “What does your nose tell you, dog.”

Sesshomaru did not reply. He only hummed and considered breaking the dragon’s neck. Yet Rin. Rin enjoyed this demon’s presence even though Sesshomaru did not. Deep Blue had yet to hurt Rin. And he most certainly could have. Sesshomaru can tell that the dragon did not enjoy humans considering how he spoke about Rin earlier, stating she was human. He saw the look of amusement on Deep Blue’s face as he made such comment. Human’s lives were short, Sesshomaru knew this. Yet Rin was different. Rin was… Rin.

“Why did you not kill Rin,” Sesshomaru questioned. “You dislike humans. You said she insulted you.”

“She _did,_ ” Deep Blue spat. “She gave me _pity_. Me?! Needing pity from a human child?! Absurd! Unheard of!”

“Hn.”

“She offered me food. My hissing and threats were not enough to scare her away. Eventually I gave up trying to run her off,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “She is stubborn. She spoke of you often.”

“Rin likes to talk.”

“She spoke of you,” Deep Blue tilted his head to the side. “… _Fondly_. I would be lying if I said I was not shocked. I heard stories of you and your father. Of your greatness.” He grinned. “You been tamed.”

The Sesshomaru back then would have crushed this man’s throat and left him to rot. The Sesshomaru now knew to control his anger and patience. He tapped a glowing green claw against Deep Blue’s skin. The grin fell, and his face twisted into one of discomfort and pain. Deep Blue’s accusation of being tamed was not far off. When he first revived Rin, he slowly felt himself understanding his father. And overtime, he unknowingly adopted Rin as his own.

He loved Rin like a daughter. She was his pack. Any harm done to her would be repaid in death.

“You have yet to answer my question,” Sesshomaru glared.

“I was curious… and she made me a flower crown,” he admitted. “I grew accustomed to her over the past few days I was healing. She was innocent. And I sensed your claim on her. If I killed her, you would put me out of my misery. And I have no intention of leaving this world.”

“Your scent was on her. Did you touch her?” Sesshomaru bit back a snarl.

Deep Blue looked to the side. “She reminded me of one of my own wards. Somewhat. I patted her head….The erg was too powerful for me to ignore so I acted upon it. She was shocked and as was I.” The dragon made a face resembling a pout. For all his ancientness, he acted like a child. Almost like Inuyasha.

“Who was the ward,” Sesshomaru slowly released his hold on Deep Blue, yet he kept his guard. Deep Blue held his injured arm, forcing it back into place with a rather loud pop. Deep Blue winced and sucked in a breath, shuddering. He rolled his shoulders.

“… a human…” the dragon answered.

Sesshomaru snarled. “Then you are a hypocrite for speaking against me.”

Deep Blue hissed back. “He showed me respect… he knew his place. Masaya was a fine child,” the dragon frowned. “He was… good. He stumbled upon my hoard.”

“Stumbled or did you collect him for your hoard?”

“ _Stumbled_ ,” Deep Blue said firmly. “I may collect things to satisfy myself however I do not resort to kidnapping. It is beneath me and I have no fascination in other demons lower than myself.”

Sesshomaru watched as the cut on Deep Blue’s face closed, leaving no scar. Deep Blue picked at his haori, hissing to himself. His clothing was a mess. He was a mess. What had caused him to be in such state? Deep Blue was a dragon daiyoukai. Yet he was thwarted by five mikos. He has fallen so low. How will he fix this mess he placed himself into…

“He stumbled into my hoard. I found him… and decided to keep him,” Deep Blue mumbled as if embarrassed. He picked at his claws. “Why am I speaking about my affairs with you? This is clearly none of your concern.”

“It is my concern considering you are still currently a threat in my land,” Sesshomaru flexed his claws. “I will decide if you are safe based on your answers to my questions, Deep Blue.” He did not add the suffix for respect. This was his land. His rules. If Deep Blue learned his place, he shall leave unscathed. “This Sesshomaru asks you again. Who was the ward.”

Deep Blue clenched his jaw. He was clearly not used to being beaten and dominated so easily. Yet he was in Sesshomaru’s territory. He had to obey if he wanted to avoid war and further injury. The dragon was still healing from those priestesses and now from Sesshomaru’s attack. How embarrassing. He leaned against the tree, licking the cuts on his arm.

“Masaya was a lost child,” Deep Blue said. “I found him. And laid my claim…. And he _reeked_ of purity… but I laid my claim anyway.My servants were confused but knew better to oppose me. He was… confused at first. Not scared. Never scared. He knew he was on my mountain the moment he set foot into my hoard.”

Sesshomaru listened silently, watching the expression of pain shift into caring on Deep Blue’s face. Masaya to Deep Blue was like Rin to Sesshomaru. It was interesting and ironic that Rin found this demon. He was very much like the dog demon. Unsettlingly so.

“His confusion turned into compassion and he followed me around my lair, playing with my hair, sleeping in my presence. He felt safe, secure. I enjoyed having him around,” then his face darkened, and his voice was filled with venom when he spoke next. “Until I learned that this lost boy was part of a temple. I claimed a tiny _monk_. Which explains why he stunk of pureness. Those five came to claim him. I refused, he refused. They _accused_ me of bewitchment and lies. ‘Dragon sickness’ they called it.

“As if _I,_ Deep Blue of the North, have anything to gain from bewitching a human _child_ ,” the dragon hissed and Sesshomaru only listened intently. Deep Blue was venting (he even counted the small fight as venting) and it would be most wise to not interrupt him considering that he was far more ancient than Sesshomaru. The demon had to guess a couple of centuries older. “The idea of it is absurd. Those priestesses will pay with their blood for humiliating me in such a manor. That entire temple will _burn_ and made an example of.”

“And you will burn the child, your claim, as well,” Sesshomaru asked, genuinely curious. “He belongs to the temple… will you kill him?”

Deep Blue hesitated, his lip quirking and eyes narrowing. Sesshomaru watched as the other’s face remain impassive but a series of emotions flickering in those cold blue eyes of his. It seems, Sesshomaru had to guess, that this dragon was normally a cruel demon with a sense of arrogance and carried himself highly. Deep Blue had no reason to think of humans as anymore than insects that plague the regain. Minor demons were dealt with accordingly and other daiyokai Deep Blue brushed off and showed his superiority with one look. (According to what Sesshomaru’s father had explained to him when he was still a pup. It was meant to be used as a warning to not go and cause unnecessary fights.) Never has the dragon ever shown any sort of compassion or interest in anything.

Until the human child _stumbled_ into Deep Blue’s hoard. And now the dragon was dealing with conflicting emotions.

“No…” Deep Blue finally said. “I would remove him from the temple and leave him with one of my most trusted of servants, Pie, while I go and deal with the matters of removing the obstacles from my land.”

“I assume that the destruction of that temple will cause others to be formed in order to seek revenge on your person,” Sesshomaru advised, brows furrowing when Deep Blue scoffed.

“I am located on a mountain where no human can travel. I assure you that these matters for human rebellion are feeble and not worth my time worrying over.”

Sesshomaru hummed out his response. “I would offer you advice, however these matters are yours and I personally do not care for them.”

Deep Blue squared his shoulders. He closed his eyes and tilted his head upward, a grin forming on his features as he unleashed a wave of youki which caused the hairs on Sesshomaru’s arm to prick up. The dragon, during the conversation, has fully healed and gathered his strength. Sesshomaru sniffed and was overwhelmed with the scent of raw power from the ancient dragon. If he were to challenge Deep Blue again, Sesshomaru was sure that he would not win. And that thought irked him. However, Deep Blue (if he were to care) might pose a threat to Naraku. Which makes sense why the damnable spider has never sought the dragon out. Or he has.

“And if you were to offer advice,” Deep Blue said, now holding himself differently than before. “I would not have taken it. I am several centuries older than you, pup.”

Sesshomaru’s brow twitched. “Your arrogance will be your undoing.”

The dragon let out a laugh. “Once you become as old as I… you learn not to care.”

“My statement still stands.”

The dragon just continued to grin. He walked around Sesshomaru, heading over to the lake and staring down at his reflection. Sesshomaru could not tell what he was thinking. Probably something along the lines of revenge against those priestesses. If he was…

“If you are healed, leave my lands and return to your mountain,” Sesshomaru ordered.

“Oh I plan to. My strength returns and wounds healed. My hoard will return to me. _And_ my ward. Masaya is my child and those five humans will regret crossing me,” Deep Blue blinked, and Sesshomaru watched him shift, black hair whipping around as youki spiked. Claws elongated, the whites of his eyes reddening. There was a flash. Where Deep Blue once stood, a large blue dragon took his place, smoke emitting from its mouth as it let out a breath. Horns resembling antlers rested on its head, whiskers acting like smoke in the wind. Its hair was black matching the triangular scales running down its spine. The blue scales acted like water, shifting color in the light. Its claws dug into the ground and Deep Blue made a noise, a rumble.

Its body coiled like a snake, head turning to glance back at Sesshomaru, before teeth snapped, and shooting up into the air. Impressive, Sesshomaru will admit. He stared up at the dragon before him, brows furrowing. Revenge it was then. It seems futile; going against five priestess that already injured him greatly. Again. Sesshomaru scoffed, turning on his heel and walking away. 


End file.
